Serving device for eating-houses.



vA. M. WESTON.

-SERVING DEVICE FOR-EATING'HOUSES.

APPLICATION EILED JUNE 3,1909.

Patented Feb. 8, 1916. Q

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in. wnsrom or nosron, massacnusnrrs, nssxenoa 'ro nvnan'rr 11. mar, v or NEWTON, massacnusnms. l

isnavme umvrcn For. Emma-Houses:

To all whom it may concern:

' a citizen of the United States, "residin at Be it known that I, ALBERT M. Wns'roN,

' Boston, in'the county of Suifolkand tate Eating-Houses, of which the following is a specification.

. tively A, B and for eating-houses.

The invention provides means by which the patronsof such a house are served in'a semi-automatic manner. In the accompanying drawings Figure 1 is a plan, somewhat diagrannnatical, representing a structure embodying the invention; and Fig. 2 is an elevation showing a portion of the structure on an enlarged scale,

on a section made at the line 2-2 of Fig. 1.

The drawings represent an embodiment of. theinvention' as it may be arranged in a single room, although itwill be obvious that many variations of arrangement may be made according to the dictations of convenience orother motives, without departing from the scope of the invention. The room has three B by a railing 9 or other suitable means. It comprises a vestibule or area ofsuitable size from which a passage or way 11 leads From apartment B a convenient exit is pro vided as at 12. When in use patrons enter and proceed through the. passage 11 to the portion B, and thence depart at will. The width of the passage 11 may conveniently be suflicient to hold a double file of patrons.

Normally, the passage is occupied by a single file, and the additionalwidth enables any individual to pass others ahead of him at will; but no individual can pass from the entrance to the tportion B without" 0- ing to the end 13 o more fully described.

the side of the passage 11 is tained for service to the patrons. Runmng along the side of the passage, between these Specification; of hetters Patent. Application filed June a, 1909. Serial No. 499,985.

This invention relates to serving devices ortions marked respec The portion A is an apartment easily accessible from the entrance 10 and is separated from the portion.

menu or list 22 of 'food ready-for service may-be arranged upon the wall adjacent in the passage. At t is is a station 14 for an'inspector', hereinafter Patented FebQs, 1916;

stations and the place; or war oc'cu ied b the single file of y p y patrons, is a continuous"- shelf 21 of suitable height and widthfl-to support a succession of trays traveling thereon ,which, when the structure is in use, are

guided and controlled by the hands of the,

individual patrons and are pushed by them along thls shelf as on a track from'station to station at will.-

The shelf preferably has a flat top asillusresting thereon can be left "momentarily'untio n to project somewhat. over the service stations, 1n position for neati service by ladle or otherwise from said stations to the tray.

trated, and is wide enough so that a tray The flatness and horizontality' of the top of the shelf, coupled with the -flatness of the underslde of the tray causes those portionsv of the trays that overhang the service stations to'pass at uniform elevation above them and in a level position, so that dishes thereon are in level positionifor receiving and holding serviceof liquids, and are prevented from sliding about on the'tray.

The station 15, nearest the entrance, is preferably a place where a" supply oftrays iskept. .Afpile of-thes'e marked 15". is represented in the drawing. Each patron upon reaching this station receives one tray from the supply, to which may-be added a napkin, with fork and other implements.

A I Y suchxmanner as to be visible to patrons while approaching this point and passing beyond. The succeeding stations marked 16 to 20 inclusive are for service of different varieties of food. .Theypreferably are ar-" rangedupon one or more tables adjacent to g the'shelf 21 upon which the trays travel, so

various meats at or near the head, asat station 16. Subject toithat variation, the

arrangement of stations follows the ordinary order of serviceoffood at a meal, viz.,

.meat and fish at the first station 16, roast,

boiled or otherwise prepared; atthe'nex't station 17 soupsand vegetables; and at succeeding stations 18, 19 and 20, in order,-in-

, cidental items such as ,.bread and butter;

then beverages, then desserts. any desired diflerent arrangement may be used. As a patron passes the various stations his .tray receives from each whateverportion of food he selects. Upon leaving 7 the passage his tray passes within View of the inspector at station 14 and there receives from the inspector a check or memorandum denoting the total price of what it contains.

l he patron then. enters the space B where are tables and seats.

The above described structures interpose no obstacle to prevent any'patron :from gothat in such case he removes his tray from the shelf and carries it in hand.

At the station 16 attendants may be provided to carve for the patron such meats as he signifies. Itf preferred, attendants may also stand-in space S at each later station, to place upon each tray as it passes such-things as the person controlling it shall indicate. If a patron wishes anything additional after entering space B, he may return past the station 13 into passage 11 and supply himself at the proper station, and then upon reentering space B a suitable check indicating a corrected total charge is given him by the inspector, in exchange for that previously given. Upon finishing, the patron leaves his tray where'he has been sitting and departs through exit 12, where he pays the amount designated by his check at a cashiers station 23. An attendant removes the tray.

I claim as my invention:

1. A servin device comprising a track having an uno structed upper surface, com

Obviously,

bined with a multiplicity of removable carrier trays adapted to fit thereon and to move thereon along the track, the top of the track cooperating with the under sides of the trays to hold the trays horizontal in the transverse direction; a multiplicity of depots arranged in sequence alongside the track, the depots being severally adapted for holding and for service of different classes of foods; and a way alongside the track, on the other side thereof from said sequence of depots, for persons to walk alongside while propelling trays along the track. I

2. A serving device comprising a stationary flat-topped track, combined with a multiplicity of food'service stations arranged in sequencealong and below the track on one side thereof; a Way for'persons to walk along the track on its other'side; and a multiplicity of removable carrier trays with fiat bottoms Wider than the track and adapted to project "out laterally therefrom over parts of the service stations while resting on the track, the track being adapted to maintain said trays'horizontal when so projecting.

3. A serving device comprising a track having an unobstructed upper surface combined with a multiplicity of food service stations arranged in sequence alongside the track, on one side thereof, and a way for persons to Walk alongside the track on the other side thereof, the said track being adapted to stabilize in substantial horizontally flat bottomed trays resting movably thereon while receiving food from said stati'ons andtransporting it along the track under propulsion of persons walking in said S igned by me at Boston, this 28th day of May, 1909.

ALBEBTM. WESTON. Witnesses:

EvERE'rr KENT, JOSEPH T. BRENNAN. 

